There’s a bug going around Redskins Nation right now. We’re all violently ill with extreme pain in the stomach. Good news is, we’re not diagnosed with anything serious. We’ll be okay. We will recover. In about 5 days.

The bad news is, we’ve got to deal with this one for a little while. And while it’s always hard to find things to be happy about after a loss, I find that to be opposite the fact here. We’ve many reasons here in Redskins Nation to have hope in the future.

Sure, we lost our first game against Mara, in his house, since Capgate. I’d have given anything to give him a swift kick to the left nut yesterday. Nothing less than his agonizing defeat would have been victorious for us. Instead, the Bully dodged our punch and left us laying on the floor… embarrassed in front of the whole school… and kicked us while we were down. But we took a swing at the bully, and next time, we’ll know exactly how to throw that punch.

Anyways, we’ll do today’s thoughts a little differently. I’ll get to my top and not performers in a minute, but first I want to relive a few plays.

Opening kickoff. Chris Wilson was apparently offsides because the Olympic laser monitor determined half an inch of his helmet was over the 35 yard line prior to the ball being kicked. Offsides. Rekick. DeJon Gomes gets flattened and taken out of the game with chest & neck injuries. My problems? Chris Wilson wasn’t offsides. And “the most dangerous play in football” had to happen twice because of a 5-yard penalty instead of just tacking 5 yards on to the end of the initial return. Yeah, Roger, we believe you give a damn about player safety, you cherubim, you!

Robert Griffin III drops back to pass, finds Joshua Morgan who makes some nifty moves and finishes strong on the endzone. But wait, Fred Davis (or Joshua Morgan, really) illegally shifted before the snap. It was a quick adjustment and referees 9 times outta 10 don’t call that one. Sucks being the last in that ratio. Anyways, a few plays later, Fred Davis crumbled in the endzone and his achilles is torn and he’ll be out for the season (unless he visits Terrell Suggs’ surgeon). Yes, Davis could have injured his achilles at any time, but with that Morgan score, that play never happens and maybe 83 is preparing for the Steelers.

Alfred Morris takes off up the middle, gets a huge 15-yard run and has the Redskins in position to put points on the board and keep the Giants fatigued. Flag. Holdi… what? Leg whip? What? What is a leg whip? *looks up the rules* “Leg whipping is when a grounded player on the offensive team whips his leg to kick or trip a defender.” Oh, damn. That’s a legit rule. We got caug… *watches replay* WHAT!? There was no leg whip by Polumbus. He fell after blocking his man and rolled away from the line so as not to hurt anyone. The defender ran around him, untouched. Well played, John Mara. Well played. On the ensuing play after the 15-yard penalty was enforced, Alfred Morris fumbles for the first time in his NFL career and the Giants gain some momentum.

Late in the 4th with the game on the line, RG3 makes a huge play and the Redskins are moving. No huddle. But wait, referees are resetting the football and don’t know where to put it. We still got the score on the drive, but the referees tried their damnedest to kill the momentum the Redskins were gaining.

Let me also point out (and I’ll be in contact with someone to provide evidence of this later in the week) that on the Giants’ scoring drive at the end of the first half, at least two Redskins players were held on every single play and not one flag was thrown. I’m not talking about little bullshit holds that no referee in his right mind should ever call. I’m talking about the kinds of holds that happen during gang-muggings. I specifically remember a hold on Cofield who was grabbed from behind over his shoulder pads after he beat his man and had a clear run right in Manning’s face. Uncalled. Ed Hochuli must love himself some John Mara after the pleasant agreement to bring back the real referees.

And I have to be fair and call out a bad call that went against the Giants. Eli Manning apparently threw an interception late in the game which ended up in Josh Wilson’s hands. Ed Hochuli and his crew failed to call illegal hands to the football on #26 of the defense. I don’t know what happened here, but Ed Hochuli will surely lose his right to coach the Super Bowl after THAT gaffe.

Now for yesterday’s top players.

Robert Griffin III. Yes, he threw a bad INT and had a fumble, but he was 20 of 28 passing (71%) for 258 yards and 2 TD’s. He also had 89 yards on the ground. And he brought it to PP’s side and didn’t get anything PP told him he would.

Alfred Morris. Man that guy is something special. He brings it every single play and handles his work. He fumbled, but he still put up some very respectable numbers regardless. Took huge chunks of yards out of one of the best front 7’s in all of football.

Santana Moss. Don’t knock him for the fumble. He was trying to get down, things just weren’t going our way all game. He still jogged into the endzone on the screen and he burnt a man deep on a clutch catch to take the lead late in the game.

Logan Paulsen. Man this guy stepped in huge when the team needed someone to make a damn play. It’s a shame that other guy at TE can’t do anything remotely close.

Kyle Shanahan. Man you called a really good game, and you didn’t even start throwing in many new plays. There weren’t many questionable calls (save for that play to Niles Paul late in the game). Got a little better production on third down, and got amazing production on 4th and any distance.

Nots:

Leonard Hankerson. He posted some numbers and made a few plays, but the bomb deep when he didn’t commit to the ball and late in the game on the slant when he tried to get down early instead of fighting for extra yards both really hurt him. Hank’s in position to blossom into one of the bright young stars and he’s getting a lot of opportunity right now, and it’s on him to take advantage and make something happen.

Jim Haslett’s scheme. Man, if I see one more play this year where the cushion the corners gives up lines them up deeper than our safeties pre-snap, I’m going to snap. I’ve never in all my years seen such atrocious amounts of space given up to the cushion, and I’ve definitely never seen Washington Redskins football give up so much cushion. ESPECIALLY when our safety play just simply isn’t up to par right now.

Quick Note: Kai Forbath is growing on me. The kid came in last week and nailed a 50-yard FG but he was kicking line drives on kickoffs. Small price to pay so long as he doesn’t take points off the board. This week, his kickoffs got better and better through the game and his field goals are going through. I can deal with it.